Electric fixture



E, NOVY ELECTRIC FIXTURE Dec. 3, 1935.

Filed March 29, 1934 ELECTRIC LAMP OF DROP LIGHT hU/I/INVENTOR 6 WmZMM ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC FIXTURE Application March 29, 1934, Serial No. 717,917

3 Claims.

The invention relates to an electric fixture, and is particularly designed for use with' a drop light.

In the home it is often desirable to connect a table lamp, or an electric toaster, a percolator, or other electric appliance, to the circuit wires of an overhead drop light rather than to the usual floor or wall socket. This is for the reason that the electric extension cord, running from the wall or floor socket to the appliance, is in the way at the side of the table, and, as frequently has happened, a person may trip upon the cord, or brush against it in such a manner as to upset the appliance resting upon the table. Of course, these objections are obviated when the extension cord is connected to an overhead drop light.

In making an overhead connection of this sort, the practice hitherto has been to remove a lamp from its socket in the drop light fixture, and to insert in its place the contact plug of the extension cord. It has also been common practice to splice the extension cord to the circuit wires of the drop light, to obtain the desired overhead connection of the electric appliance to the electric supply. These expedients and others which have been pursued for years are open to objection. On the one hand the spliced wiring more often than not is made by an unskilled person;

accordingly it is often improperly done, and presents danger of a short circuit. And on the other hand the removing of a lamp and the screwing in of a contact plug is an uncomfortable task, since one must reach overhead and strain while doing the work.

I aim to provide an electric fixture, which may be installed in the suspension member of a drop light, to provide a readily accessible, auxiliary socket for the plugging in of electric appliances.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. I is a View in side elevation of a typical drop light equipped with the fixture of my invention; Fig. II is a view in plan, and Fig. III is a view in side elevation, showing to larger scale the blank of which the body of the fixture is formed; Fig. IV shows in side elevation the complete fixture installed in the suspension chain of the drop light; Fig. V is a fragmentary view of the fixture, illustrating the method of its attachment to the suspension chain; Fig. VI is a view comparable with Fig. V, showing the normal engagement of the fixture with the chain; and Fig. VII is a wiring diagram.

Referring to Fig. I, a drop light of conventional sort is illustrated; it comprises a shade I suspended on chain 2 which hangs from a cap 3 secured to the ceiling 4; and within the shade I, one or more electric lamps (not shown) are mounted in the usual manner. The circuit wires 5 of the drop light are projected downward through the cap 3, and are entwined in and about the links of the suspension chain 2, whereby electric connection is established with the 5 lamps within the shade I. In the drawing the electric circuit wires are not shown entwined about the chain 2, this being a well-known detail which has been omitted from the drawing for the 10 iliary fixture is so constituted that in service it 20 may, as shown, be included in the suspension chain 2. In such assembly the body 8 comprises a tension element of the chain. It is further noteworthy that I mount upon the body 8 a switch II, conveniently a pull-chain switch of 25 known structure.

Turning to a consideration of the detailed structure of the fixture, Figs. II and III illustrate the flat blank B of which the body 8 is fashioned.

The blank B conveniently is formed of sheet 30 metal, say sheet steel of inch or less in thickness. A plain circular orifice I2 and a specialized orifice I3 are punched in the blank, as illustrated in Fig. II; the smaller orifice I3 is so punched as to provide a tubular boss I3a on the back of the blank; the orifice I3 is threaded, and the boss I3a together with the body of the blank provides suflicient material in which to obtain a thread of substantial strength. It will be observed that the blank includes two spaced-apart, intermediate body portions I 4 and I5, and at each of its opposite ends the blank is provided with a relatively narrow extension I 6, each terminating at its outer end in a pair of lateral wings II.

The blank B is pressed into the form indicated in side elevation in Fig. IV. That is, the body portions I4 and I5 are offset from the normal plane of the blank, so that the plug socket 9 and switch I I appear rather to nest in than protrude from the structure. Conveniently, a screw I8 is 50 employed to secure the socket 9 to the body portion I4, the threaded orifice I3 receiving the screw. The usual threaded stem IQ of the pullchain switch II is passed through orifice I2 in body portion I5, and a nut 20, tightened on the 55 In accordance with the invention, 15

stem, serves to hold the parts in secure assembly.

It will be observed that the extensions I 6 at the opposite ends of the blank (Fig. II) are bent into the form of hooks (Fig. IV). The terminals of the hooks manifestly include the lateral wings H.

The usual suspension chain for drop lights is constructed of elongate, separable links. It is nnportant to note that the spread of the wings I! is greater than the width and less than the length or the opening in each link of the chain. By tilting the fixture 6, as indicated in Fig. V, the tip of the hook may be passed through the link. When the winged terminal of the hook has been us passed through the link, the fixture is swung into a vertical position (Fig. VI), and the Wings 5'! manifestly serve to prevent unintentional dislodging of the hook.

In the ordinary case, I remove two intermediate links from the suspension chain of the drop light in which my fixture is to be installed, and, in the manner explained immediately above, I severally secure the hooks at the opposite ends of the fixture in the two links thus made accessible in the parted length of chain. Clearly, it is a simple matter to assemble the fixture in the suspension chain, and it will be understood that in such assembly the body 8 of the fixture comprises in effect a link of the chain.

The wiring of the plug socket 9 and switch ll also a matter requiring no high degree of skill. is indicated in Fig. VII, one of the circuit wires 5 cntwining the chain 2 is bared and secured to the terminal 2| of the socket 9, and the other wire 5 is bared and connected to the terminal 23 of the socket. The terminals 22, 24 of the switch are connected in series with the lamp. Mamfestly, it requires only simple electric connections to make the installation. And it will be seen that the energizing of the lamp may be controlled by switch H independently of the socket 9.

I claim as my invention:

1. An auxiliary fixture for installation intermediate the chain suspension of a drop light, said fixture including a body of sheet metal cut and pressed into form providing a seat for the mounting of an electric socket and an adjacent seat for an electric switch, an electric socket and a switch severally secured on said seats, and means shaped to be inserted through two opposed, closed chain links of said chain suspension to interlock the fixture with both of said closed links when said fixture extends in alignment with said chain suspension.

2. An auxiliary fixture for installation intermediate the chain suspension of a drop light, said fixture including a body, an electric socket and an electric switch carried by said body, and means at or adjacent the opposite ends of said body shaped to be inserted through two opposed, closed chain links of said chain suspension and to interlock the fixture with both of said links while said chain suspension is subjected. to the weight of said drop light.

3. An auxiliary fixture for installation intermediate the chain suspension of a drop light, said fixture including a body of sheet metal pressed into form providing a seat for the mounting of an electric socket, and means formed of sheet metal and shaped to be inserted through two opposed, closed chain links of said chain suspension to interlock the fixture with both of said closed links 5 when said fixture extends in general alignment with said chain suspension.

ELMER NOVY. 

